The Diaspora as the Jewish Homeland

Let's just go with the flow and imagine Jews being settled comfortably anywhere in the world except for Israel? After all, didn't the Jewish Diaspora manage quite well without the moral and emotional intrusion of having a Jewish homeland in Israel to be concerned about? Which flow could one possibly be referring to, if one actually exists?

Amongst a whole host of issues, I also refer to the rationale suggesting that Jews living in Israel are a nation apart, and a different breed of people altogether from other Jews. If you ever read the comments section of many Israel related articles you'll immediately know the kind I mean. "You need to change your leaders before expecting us to make Aliyah" - "Don't expect me to live in a police state" - "If you can't send your children to march into Gaza then I won't be marching into the arrivals terminal at Ben Gurion Airport" And so the list goes on. Well perhaps you've worn me down, maybe you're right after all? We don't need to have voters, have police protect us against rapists and criminals, or even have an IDF at all. In fact, what am I doing in Israel in the first place, surely the real Jewish homeland is out there in the Diaspora. It seems that the majority of Jews have got it right after all, which leads to the ultimate conclusion, why bother with Israel in the first place?

I began by thinking about some of the positive consequences of reaching that state of affairs. Muslims and Nazis would be nice to Jews. Jonathan Pollard would be a free man and not the target of patriotic American Jews, who feel that their religious ranks were betrayed by his loyalty to a Jewish state instead of solely to the USA. Jews could serve in their own country's defence forces, and even fight against other Jews in the process, after all, it's not like anyone has a shared homeland to unite around. Revisionist Judaism could go well beyond their German predecessors in substituting Berlin for Jerusalem. Our prayers could just be directed towards the national capital of the country we happen to live in.

Most important of all, Jews won't have to feel like their easing their conscience by supporting Israel from afar, they can direct their love for Judaism to the Jewish Diaspora...the Jewish Homeland.

Well, we're going to be discussing this idea plus lot's more on Israel National News' next live interactive broadcast event. Aliyah Fever is returning after the recent Hanukah show produced for Arutz Sheva by Israel Vibes. Join us live on Arutz Sheva tomorrow night - Wednesday December 19th at 7pm Israel time. Your comments can even be made live on air where we can see you! You are also invited to visit Aliyah Magazine where you can discover if I really did succumb to the idea of a Jewish Homeland in the Diaspora.